Danny DeVito and other TV comics help Haiti with local show

The cast of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (from left, Danny DeVito, Kaitlin Olson, Glenn Howerton and Rob McElhenney) are shown performing "The Nightman Cometh" in New York last September. The actors will reprise the musical Feb. 12 as part of a fund-raiser for Haitian earthquake relief. PATRICK MCELHENNEY, PICTUREGROUP

A devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti on Jan. 12. As information poured in and images of a country left in ruins – buildings crumbled, hundreds of thousands of people buried, dead and alive, amid the rubble – many began asking, "What can we do to help?"

Numerous celebrities and musicians answered this and set up benefits like the Hope For Haiti Now telethon on Jan. 22, which raised over $58 million according to CNN.com and spawned a best-selling album online that included all of the evening's performances. Countless artists have put on benefit concerts including a special performance by Radiohead at the Music Box at the Fonda on Jan. 24 which raised over $570,000 and a benefit featuring Tenacious D with Frank Black, Russell Brand, Bob Odenkirk and Patton Oswalt at the Wiltern on Feb. 2 that had patrons shelling out $40-$100 per ticket.

For the cast of FX's popular dark comedy show "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," a solution came together quickly following the tragedy after a series of rapid-fire e-mails shot between actors Danny DeVito and Kaitlin Olson as well as the shows' creator Rob McElhenney and producers/actors Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day.

The gang (as they are referred to on the show) decided to resurrect the stage adaptation of its hit season-four finale episode/musical "The Nightman Cometh" and donate all of the proceeds to charity. Teaming up with "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane, they've set up a live dual-show performance on Feb. 12 at Gibson Amphitheatre in L.A. that benefits Boston-based organization Partners in Health. The charity has been working in Haiti for more than 25 years and launched the Stand with Haiti campaign after the quake.

Benefit organizers are working hard to bring in sponsors to ensure that most, if not all, of the production costs are offset so that 100 percent of the proceeds ($59.50-$89.50 per ticket) from the night will go directly to relief in Haiti. To help raise even more funds, Ticketmaster.com is hosting auctions for premium seating and celebrity meet and greets. The minimum bid is currently $150 per ticket and the auction closes Feb. 8 at 4 p.m.

As if nearly hour-long live shows of both "It's Always Sunny" and "Family Guy" isn't enough for one night, comedians Sarah Silverman and Jeffrey Ross have also signed on to perform. DeVito, who plays Frank Reynolds on "It's Always Sunny," says he's impressed with how everything has come together and he's confident that the benefit show is going to be a good time.

"This thing is really going to be a hoot," he says during a phone interview. "I just hope that we fill up that house and get as much money as we can. It's a blessing that we can lend our support to this devastating thing. It's great for the country and everyone to come together and do things like this. This is just a small step, the beginning, but everyone who comes will be helping out."

"The Nightman Cometh" is based on an episode of "It's Always Sunny" where Charlie Kelly (Charlie Day) writes an outrageous musical. DeVito says that the group thought that the episode could stand on its own as a true musical and decided to test if out for the first time on stage at the Troubadour in Los Angeles last April. The response was so great, McElhenney & Co. took the act on the road with dates in New York, Philadelphia, Seattle and San Francisco.

"We have some rabid fans," DeVito says. "We love it. People come dressed up like the characters (to the shows) and I'm a little older than (the) guys and I remember the beginnings of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' and it's kind of like that. People participate and they know the songs so they sing along. Some people sing the troll song, which is my song – I play a troll – and I'm diggin' it. There's so much energy. We're so excited to do it again and to be teaming up with 'Family Guy' ... it's going to be really interesting."

DeVito, who was hanging out with his family in front of the American Museum of National History in New York City during our phone chat, says he's proud to be a part of this benefit and is headed back to Los Angeles to begin rehearsing with the rest of the team on Sunday. He's not sure how everything will play out on stage, but he's up for any challenge.

"We're going to wind up all together on stage at some point," he says with a bit of an evil laugh. "Who knows what could happen. I'm hoping the troll gets to hang out with Stewie from 'Family Guy.' I love that character. I love them all, but Stewie has won my heart over the years. Then we have Sarah Silverman who is going to do her magic in between the two shows and I love her so much. She's just hysterical. This is just going to be crazy."

"It's Always Sunny" is currently on a break, but begins shooting its sixth season in April. DeVito didn't know what to expect when he signed on for the show in its second season, but says he's been "a happy man ever since."

"I just knew that these were my kind of people," he continues. "I'm having a ball. I like being involved in a crazy little comedy where you can just let it all go. They created this character for me and I can absolutely let it all go and sometimes they have to sit on me to try to keep some in."

DeVito also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Goldene Kamera Awards in Berlin, Germany on Jan. 30.

"It was really fantastic," he says. "Michael Douglas surprised me and came out to give me the award. It's a prestigious honor and I thank the people of Berlin. They're really film lovers and entertainment lovers there and I'm very proud of the award."

Despite his recent accomplishment he says he really just has one thing on his mind: helping Haiti. He's adamant that the upcoming benefit show is only the first of many to help the devastated country.

"It can't be just a one-time thing," he says. "It's got to be ongoing. We're all going to have to be doing this kind of thing for a while to make sure that we take care of those kids and try to help the Haitian people rebuild their city in a sustainable way."

The cast of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (from left, Danny DeVito, Kaitlin Olson, Glenn Howerton and Rob McElhenney) are shown performing "The Nightman Cometh" in New York last September. The actors will reprise the musical Feb. 12 as part of a fund-raiser for Haitian earthquake relief. PATRICK MCELHENNEY, PICTUREGROUP
Glenn Howerton and Rob McElhenney perform in a scene from "The Nightman Cometh," an outrageous that was written for an episode of the FX series. The piece will be performed live at Gibson Amphitheatre along with a live version of "Family Guy" to raise funds for a charity that serves Haiti. PATRICK MCELHENNEY, PICTUREGROUP
Glenn Howerton and Danny DeVito perform a scene from "The Nightman Cometh" in New York. PATRICK MCELHENNEY, PICTUREGROUP
Danny DeVito has spent four seasons on the cast of the FX series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and has no regrets. "I just knew that these were my kind of people," he says. "I'm having a ball. I like being involved in a crazy little comedy where you can just let it all go." FX
The cast of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is, from left, Rob McElhenney as Mac, Kaitlin Olson as Sweet Dee, Charlie Day as Charlie, Danny DeVito as Frank and Glenn Howerton as Dennis. FX
"The gang," from left, Kaitlin Olson, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day, gives Frank (Danny DeVito) an intervention in a recent episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. PATRICK MCELHENNEY, FX
Danny DeVito says he loves the "anything goes" comedy he's able to do on FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." PATRICK MCELHENNEY, FX
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," featuring (from left) Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney, Danny DeVito and Kaitlin Olson as Sweet Dee. FX

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